Nation IN BRIEF / NORTH CAROLINA

Mothers Speak Out at NRA Convention

A week after the Million Mom March for gun control, the National Rifle Assn. showcased its own mothers at its convention in Charlotte, N.C. The mothers said they are just as concerned about their children's safety as the protesters in Washington and elsewhere. "I choose to own a gun because I am a good mother," said Maria Heil, an NRA member for eight years and Pennsylvania coordinator of the Second Amendment Sisters, who spoke at a seminar held by the NRA's Women on Target. The group helps women join and organize shooting and hunting clubs. The seminar was followed by a reception for NRA women.